Olivia Dunne is still wrapping her head around the attention she’s getting, especially after an incident with the police.
During an interview on “The Today Show” on Friday, the 20-year-old LSU gymnast expressed concern about some people reaching out to her on social media and said the school went to the police about an incident that took place last year.
Dunne did not divulge further details on the matter. The social media influencer has nearly 10 million followers on Instagram, Twitter and TikTok and earns seven figures in brand endorsements and NILs.
To those who might suggest her content – which includes fitness photos, dance videos and bikini snaps – is to blame, Dunne said: ‘As a woman, you are not responsible for how a man looks at you and objectifies you. It’s not a woman’s responsibility.”
Dunne told “Today” that her massive social media following prompted threatening comments.
“There are some people who occasionally stretch and it’s a bit of a concern,” Dunne said.
The New Jersey native, who is a junior on a four-year athletic scholarship to LSU, made headlines earlier this month when a huge crowd of screaming male fans showed up to the Tigers’ season opener against Utah in Salt Lake City.
“In the past I’ve had some of my supporters come out to the meets and watch and cheer for LSU, but this was crazy. She really was,” Dunne said from the Tigers’ training facility, where the athlete was in a boot. He was sidelined with an injury to start the season.
The scene outside Salt Lake City’s Jon M. Huntsman Center was “so scary and disturbing,” according to former Olympic gymnast Samantha Peszek, who posted a video of Dunne’s fans chanting her name.
There were a number of teenage boys asking about Dunne’s whereabouts, with some holding signs asking the gymnast for photos and social media followers.
Fan attention sparked a police presence at the gymnastics meet, which prompted LSU to implement new security measures.
“They’ve given us some new rules for us athletes just to keep us safe, not to go into the stands after the meets and we have a new security person traveling with us,” Dunne said.
After the LSU-Utah meet, Dunne addressed the fans’ behavior in a tweet asking supporters to “respect other female athletes and the gymnastics community.”
Dunne said she is “very grateful” to be making seven figures as a student. In October, she topped the On3 Sports list of female NIL earners, which estimated her worth at $2.3 million.
Dunne signed with WME Sports for representation in August 2021 and has deals with a number of brands, including Vuori Apparel, College GameDay, GrubHub, Madden/EA Sports and American Eagle.
